2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in California
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 48,831 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 9,937 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $47,367 and $16,994 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,426 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, we looked at 48 colleges that offer a degree in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality economics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 824 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 703 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend UCSB.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 751 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Economics Report
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 69 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree economics students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - San Diego came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 403 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
UCSD also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Northridge landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 118 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend CSUN.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Davis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 606 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Fresno landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 30 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree economics students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at California State University - Fresno
With a ranking of #10, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 127 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree economics students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of California - Irvine ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 441 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree economics students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree economics students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #12, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 236 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree economics students list, SDSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Sonoma State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 45 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
California State University - Sacramento ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 195 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at California State University - Channel Islands
California State University - Fullerton ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 51 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree economics students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #18. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 76 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend Chico State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 263 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at University of California - Riverside
California State University - San Marcos ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree economics students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - San Marcos Economics Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #22. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree economics students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #24. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.
Read full report on Economics at California State University - Bakersfield
With a ranking of #25, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree economics students.
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.
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